Saarinen Executive Chairs as Dining Chairs

Saw this picture in Canada's Style at Home magazine.  I love the textured gray upholstery on these Saarinen Executive Chairs, and these chairs used as dining chairs.  Mixing them in with all of the glam and feminine touches in this room takes away some of the strange futuristic appearance they can sometimes have.  

I posted awhile back about the home of Bonnie Edelman, and they also used these chairs in their dining room to a totally different effect.  Of course with the same table (different material).

Instant Attraction: Study in the Home fo John Robshaw

So much personality.  Very collected.  And the plants.  Love that rug.  Good trick to paint the ceiling a lighter shade of the color on the walls.  

Image from Elle Decor.  Photos by William Waldron.  Featured in Elle Decor December 2012: Home and Abroad. 

Instant Attraction: Manhattan Apartment of Nate Berkus

The November 2012 issue of Architectural Digest ran a great before and after article featuring Nate Berkus's gorgeous Greenwich Village apartment.  I love the neutral color palette and the mix of graphic and rustic elements.  Nate is always amazing with giving his spaces character.  I've included a couple of my favorite shots here, and there are loads more over on the AD site.

Love the way he super cleverly disguised the oddly placed and proportioned windows in the office (above) (see the "before picture below).

I Want This Bookshelf

I love all things adjustable, flexible, and customizable.  People's needs change over time, and it's nice to have furnishings that are able to adapt to those changes.  This bookshelf makes me drool.  The verticals are completely notched out at regular intervals, making it easy to move the shelves around and turning that functional aspect into a design element.  Such an improvement over those ugly vertical lines of peg holes running up the insides of a bookcase.

Oh, and the rest of the project is lovely too.  It is a Manhattan apartment designed by Len Morgan, featured in Elle Decor November 2012, in the article Made to Measure.  Photos by Mikkel Vang.  A couple of my favorite shots of the project are below, and more are available on the Elle Decor site.

Elle Decor: London Assurance

I love a good neutral palette, but lately I'm trying to push myself to pay more attention to color.  I loved the use of color in this interior featured in Elle Decor October 2012: London Assurance.  Rich jewel tones are layered over a great neutral base full of black, white, grays, and neutrals.  Great styling too!  More photos of this project below and after the jump.

Interior design by homeowner and fashion editor Kim Hersov and interior design Hubert Zandberg.  Photography by Simon Upton.  Images from www.elledecor.com.

Now THIS is a bathroom...

Nate Berkus Home Office Makeover

Loved this one-day home office makeover by Nate Berkus in House Beautiful May 2012.  Perfect balance of masculine and feminine.  Love that 70's sofa!

Image from House Beautiful.  Interior Design by Nate Berkus.  Photo by Björn Wallander.

House Beautiful: California Cottage

Image from House Beautiful: California Cottage, July/Aug 2012.  Interior Design by Stephen Shubel.  Photos by Luca Trovato.

I love this platform seating.  Very casual yet sophisticated.  Great collection of pillows on top and who doesn't love a good box cushion?

Instant Attraction: House Beautiful - Naturally Modern

Love the color and materials palette of this project.  Lots of texture, pattern and natural materials.  And I LOVE the groundcover in the deck area.  It is called Baby's Tears, and I want some.

Images from House Beautiful, July/August 2012.  Interior design by Mark Egerstrom.  Photos by Lisa Romerein.  More photos of this project after the jump...

Color Files: House Beautiful - Layer With a Global Mix

Great use of color and mixing of textiles in this project.  There's a lot going on in these photos, they're a bit of a departure from my usual preferences of simple palettes with an emphasis on natural materials and very sparing use of color.  Although there is more color here, the palette is still restrained to a range of purples and reds and neutrals.  GREAT rugs.  And I am dying for this bathroom.

Images from House Beautiful June 2012, Layer With a Global Mix.  Interior design by Betsy Burnham.  Photos by Amy Neunsinger.

More images of the project after the jump...

Instant Attraction: Home of Athena and Victor Calderone

The Amagansett home of Athena and Victor Calderone.  Featured in Elle Decor July/Aug 2012: Sound Thinking.  Photography by Jason Schmidt.  All images from www.elledecor.com.

Why I like it:  Natural materials.  Contrasting lights and darks.  Texture.  Restrained use of color.  Simplicity.  Cleanness.  Serene.

More images of this project after the jump...

Instant Attraction: Mark Cunningham in Elle Decor

The Marfa, Texas home of Sam Hamilton and Jen Chalken.  Designed by Mark Cunningham.  Featured in Elle Decor June 2012: Lone Star Statement.  Photography by William Abranowicz.  All images from www.elledecor.com.

Why I like it: The black painted bookcases.  Neutral palette with strong contrasting lights and darks and restricted accents of color (red, green).  Use of different textures (wood, jute, plants, soft fabrics, glossy woodwork) to add interest.

Good ideas: Framing just a colored sheet of paper as a color accent (over fireplace).  Keeping the base of a room neutral and adding color with accessories that are easy to change and move around (artwork, blankets, books) is never, ever a bad idea.

More photos of this project after the jump...

Elle Decor: Home of Ivanka Trump

Home of Ivanka Trump.  Designed by Kelly Behun.  Featured in Elle Decor October 2012: High Standards.  Photography by Eric Piasecki.  All images from www.elledecor.com.

What I like:  It's a little out there and wacky, but the restrained color palette and incorporation of earthy materials and plants keeps it grounded.  The addition of pops of turquoisy blue to the otherwise muted den (below) keeps your eye moving around the room.

Architectural Digest: Home of Nina Garcia

From Architectural Digest October 2012.  Home of Nina Garcia.  I like the simplicity of this room.  Everything has space to breather and the muted complementary color palette is very soothing and serene.  It's feminine, but not overly so.

Images from www.architecturaldigest.com and scanned from the magazine.  Photos by Bjorn Wallander.  Design by Carlos Aparicio.

More photos after the jump...

Architectural Digest: Home of Jenni Kayne and Richard Ehrlich

From Architectural Digest, October 2012: Comfort Zone.  The home of Jenni Kayne and Richard Ehrlich.  I love the simple and relaxed palette and the overall vibe of this project.  Looks very beautiful but still comfy and livable for a family.  Speaking of which, even the children's rooms are amazing.  Project by Standard.

All photos from www.architecturaldigest.com or scanned from the magazine.  Photos by Roger Davies.

More photos of this amazing home after the jump...

Good Idea: Wood/Tile Floor

Who says that your tiled floors and wood floors have to meet up in a straight line?  I love the way the designer, Paola Navone, chose to allow the shape of the tile to dictate the line where the two flooring materials meet.

Photo of Andrea Falkner Campi’s Home in Italy by Paola Navone, via tumblr.

Instant Attraction: Montana retreat featured in AD

This gorgeous Montana home was featured in Architectural Digest June 2012 in the article "Pride of Place."  All photos by Joshua McHugh, from www.architecturaldigest.com.  Design by architect David Lake and interior designer Madeline Stuart.

This project features a beautiful palette that is super natural but not rustic in style.  The use of materials and construction is lovely.  According to the architect:

“Our motto for this project was ‘Rough and ready,’” Lake says. “The design is seriously practical, easy to heat and cool, with nothing to paint or fret over. It’s essentially a simple barn, with open living, kitchen, and dining zones bracketed by spacious porches. There’s nothing precious about it.”

Love it.  More photos of this project below, and even more on architecturaldigest.com.

Instant Attraction: Home of Alfredo Paredes and Brad Goldfarb

I love everything about this apartment.  It's in the East Village, has a KILLER terrace, the architecture is so lovely, and the design that was implemented is gorgeous.  I want it all.  The materials palette, those windows!, the fireplaces, fixtures, millwork, furnitures, fabrics, the floor-to-ceiling wraparound draperies in the master bedroom.  And that dog is a muffin too.  What a retreat it must be to come home to this place. 

All images by Miguel Flores-Vianna, from www.architecturaldigest.com.  Featured in Architectural Digest April 2012, "Partners in Style".

Sourcing: Mansour Modern rugs

Mansour Modern - African Collection by Ben Soleimani - Souk

Ben Soleimani is the head designer at Mansour Modern, and his rugs are sooo sososo lovely.  There are collections by other great designers at Mansour Modern as well, but this blog post highlights some of my favorite from Ben's collections.

All images from www.mansourmodern.com.

Mansour Modern - ABO Collection by Ben Soleimani - Ballin

Mansour Modern - Moroccan Collection by Ben Soleimani - 15

Mansour Modern - Moroccan Collection by Ben Soleimani - MM57162

Mansour Modern - Vintage Collection by Ben Soleimani - 21

Super Cool - Studio Gorm Flow Kitchen

This "living kitchen" by Studio Gorm is pretty amazing.  They explain it best on their website:

a living kitchen where nature and technology are integrated in a symbiotic relationship, processes flow into one another in a natural cycle, efficiently utilizing energy, waste, water and other natural resources. it provides a space not only for preparing food but an environment that gives a better understanding of how natural processes work. a kitchen where food is grown, stored, cooked and composted to grow more food. 

the flow products can be used independently but are far more effective when they work in concert as part of the larger system. the individual objects are relatively uncomplicated, acting as simple vehicles for the more complex natural processes to do the work. this kitchen is developed as a flexible system where resources are reused by several elements creating a dynamic flow between the products. 

the water from the dish rack drips on the herbs and edible plants, which are grown in the planter boxes places below the rack. the counter top features a built in waste bowl, which can be utilized to dump the scraps while preparing the food. once the bowl is full, it needs only to be tipped to transfer the waste into the worm bin composter, which lies beneath the counter top. as the waste is lowered into the composter, the worms convert it into nutrient rich fertilizer, which can be put back into the plants.

Image and text from www.studiogorm.com.

Analog Modern

Analog Modern...

is a Brooklyn-based furniture and design studio crafting bespoke outcomes. We are inspired by traditional joinery, and both ethically and aesthetically drawn towards using regional hardwoods and reclaimed materials in our pieces.Above: Detail image of a custom hydroponic kitchen island.  It has grow lights underneath.In addition to their fiiiiine furniture, these folks also do tree houses!  I strongly urge you to check them out.  It appears they also offer a reclaimed furniture design/build workshop.  I would LOVE to attend that to learn about traditional joinery techniques and walk away witha  piece of furniture I built myself!More photos of their work after the jump.  All images from www.analogmodern.com...